Flavor Notes:1: The first time I brewed this infusion, it was initially very sweet, mild, and easy. The second time, with a slightly longer initial rest, this was heavier, bitter, floral, toasted, and medicinal. Texture was smooth and liquor clear in both.2: Mild smoke, flavors milder. Still somewhat compressed, still faintly sweet. Toasted pine nuts?3: Very strong, overpowering. Pinewood or sap, bitter, long aftertaste.4: I'm feeling flushed, qi is higher. While this is overwhelming, it's softer in flavor--less sour and more rounded--than other young baoyan I've had. A bit metallic. Toasted, still, getting astringent. Pine sap...5: Same, still v. powerful. Hints at what it may be like aged: heavily woody.6 & on: Much the same. Didn't become "drinkable" until around infusion 7...Overall:Too powerful to drink. Good complexity at times, but often too metallic. I like the raw power. I dislike the sharp edges. By no means a higher class tea, though it tastes and overpowers like a cousin of Haiwan's Lao Tongzhi beeng.Ageability: Not a tea to drink now. Definitely a longer-term tea, for its strength, lasting power, and compression. Given how i've enjoyed 2001 Baoyan mini-beengs, and these appear to be higher quality, with bigger leaves, I have hope for this becoming something nice.Would I buy this tea?: I already have, and I'm happy with my purchase. I tend to like minibeengs because they're nicely portioned for sharing, quicker aging, and thus quicker drinking. I've liked how Xiaguan's baoyan ages, which is what inspired my purchase.

FT is a special order series of Mr. Kuo's "Fei Tai Co." to MengHai and Xia Guan. Yes usually they are of higher quality than regular productions. Those "FT" cakes/brick/jingcha/toucha was originally only for exporting to Taiwan (Mr. Kuo is a Taiwanese --- errr! Taiwanese businessman again!), but not anymore.

A little bit more story around Mr. Kuo. Listed as "WANTED" by Taiwan's law enforcement, he was (is?) a mafia leader and escaped to mainland many years ago. Now is a successful pu-erh businessman in China!